Corn and callous file



May 5, 1964 w. D. EMERSON CORN AND CALLOUS FILE Filed Jan. 10, 1961 INV EN TOR. Maw/v 0. tins-e519 A TTORNE YS United States Patent 3,131,701 CORN AND CALLOUS FILE William D. Emerson, Canoga Park, Calif., assignor to The Scholl Mfg. Co., Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 81,881 1 Claim. (Ci. 13276.4)

This invention relates to improvements in a corn and callous file, and more particularly to an implement utilized for the reduction of corn and callous tissue and the like which most frequently occurs on the hands or feet, although the instrument may have other uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, many and various types of articles and devices have been utilized by the afflicted individual for the purpose of reducing corn and callous tissue including mildly abrasive substances which as pumice stones, and even cutting implements. Of course, the use of cutting implements by the afilicted individual is properly discouraged by Chiropodists and physicians. Heretofore, also, so-called files in the form of flat blade-like members having sandpaper or the equivalent on the faces thereof of one or more degrees of coarseness were manufactured for this purpose. In some cases a different abrasive such as silicon carbide in a hard rubber base were also offered. But in any event, there was merely a flat blade-like member carrying an abrasive on one or both faces thereof and whether or not com or callous tissue was properly reduced by the use of such a file, and without possible injury to healthy adjacent tissue, depended upon the skill, dexterity, degree of care used, and tedious manipulation by the user, because the file itself was not shaped to fit most of the contours of the feet or hands where its use was indicated. Consequently, in many cases a person could do better with a small piece of unattached sandpaper, emergy paper, or the like.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a corn and callous file shaped to fit the various contours of the feet and hands and which may be easily, quickly, and accurately manipulated by the user.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide a corn and callous file having a working portion varying in shape in such a manner that a portion of the file readily fits substantially any contour of the foot and hands of the user, even between the fingers and toes, so that corn and callous tissue may be facilely and properly reduced, with a minimum danger to adjacent healthy tissue, even by an unskilled user.

It is also a feature of this invention to provide a corn and callous file having a working portion generally of spatulate shape, but curving both longitudinally and transversely whereby some portion of the file will intirnately and best fit the various contours of the hands and feet of the user.

Still another desideratum of this invention is the provision of a corn and callous file embodying a spatulate portion which gradually widens from one end to the other terminating in a rounded edge at the wider end, and which is curvate both longitudinally and transversely thereof, the spatulate member being entirely coated even over its side and end edges with an abrasive substance of an extremely durable and effective character.

Also a feature of this invention is the provision of a corn and callous file embodying a spatulate abrasive carrying member having opposed faces, one of the faces being concave longitudinally and convex transversely, while the other face is convex longitudinally and concave transversely, thus enabling the spatulate element to fit any and all contours of the foot or hand of the user.

Still a further object of the instant invention is the pro- 3,131,791 Patented May 5,1964

vision of a corn and callous file utilizing a new abrasive substance that is highly effective and durable.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the use of a corn and callous file embodying principles of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary somewhat diagrammatic view of the character of FIGURE 1 illustrating further use of the instant invention;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view showing one side of the file itself;

FIGURE 4 is an edge elevational view of the file itself;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line VV of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken substantially as indicated by the line VI-VI of FIGURE 3.

As shown on the drawings:

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention comprises a handle 1 which may be integral with a spatula 2 which is preferably entirely coated or covered with an abrasive substance 3, there being an annular outstanding rib 4 defining the junction between the handle and the abrasive covered spatula. The handle and spatula or spatulate core 2 may be readily molded in a single piece from a suitable thermoplastic or thermosetting plastic material.

While a number of abrasive substances might be utilized in a device of this character, the preferable abrasive for the instant invention is white fused aluminum oxide, which is new, clean looking, and possesses excellent abrasive qualities as well as great durability. This material may be obtained in various particle or grit sizes ncluding fine, medium, coarse, etc. In the making of the device, the aluminum oxide particles are mixed with any suitable waterproof bonding agent, the spatula 2 is completely enclosed with the material in any suitable manner, and the material is then baked upon the spatula 2 at a temperature of approximately 280 F., whereby the working end of the device is firm and hard, providing an excellent abrading action.

One highly important feature of the instant invention is the shape of the abrasive coated spatula 2--3. As seen clearly in FIGURE 3, the spatula gradually widens from its inner end adjacent the rib 4 to its free outer end and terminates in an outer curvate edge 5. Preferably the abrasive substance completely encloses the spatula entirely thereover, but at least it encloses the curved outer edge 5 of the spatula. The spatula is also transversely curvate, the curvature increasing outwardly as the spatula flares toward the rounded edge 5. As seen in FIGURE 6, there is a shallow transverse curvature 6 which will be near the inner end of the spatula, whereas there is a pronounced transverse curvature as indicated at 7 in FIG- URE 5 at the wide end of the spatula. At the same time, there is a definite curvature or arcing of the spatula in a longitudinal direction as shovm at 8 in FIGURE 4. Consequently, one face of the spatula is concave longitudinally by virtue of the curvature 3 and convex transversely by virtue of the graduated curvature 6-7; while the opposite face of the spatula is convex longitudinally by virtue of the curvature 8 and concave transversely by virtue of the graduated curvature 6-7.

While the device in appearance may somewhat resemble the contour of the commonly known shoe horn, the

device is thicker than a shoe horn and has a distinctly different curvature. For example, while a shoe horn is curvate transversely, the shoe horn has a Straight line where the curvature 8 is embodied as shown in FIGURE 4. In other words, for a shoe horn there would be a straight line from the rib 4 to the curved end 5 where the curved line 8 appears in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, and in a shoe horn there would be less deviation from the axis of the handle, if any, than is the case with the instant invention.

The distanct curvature and the application of the abrasive substance 3 over the edges and particularly over the curved end edge 5 of the spatula enables the device to be accurately and safely used with great facility. This structure makes the working end of the device usable over substantially its entire external surface and at some point therealong it will fit or correctly contact the particular affliction in the proper manner for reduction by abrasion, regardless of the shape or location of that affiiction on the foot or hand.

For example, assuming there is a large callous at the side of the heel adjacent the bottom of the heel, the wide end of the spatula with the transversely concave portion next the heel can readily be used to reduce the callous tissue, as shown by the full lines in FIGURE 1. This portion of the device will intimately fit the heel contour providing abrasive action upon the callous tissue but avoided contact with the adjacent healthy tissue. The callous tissue is reduced smoothly and evenly, as well as safely, by a simple manipulation of the device, easily held by the handle in the hand of the user, with the proper curved portion of the device contacting the aflliction.

Obviously, calluses along the sides of the foot and adjacent the first and fifth metatarsal heads may effectively be reduced by whatever portion of the transversely concave face best fits the size and shape of the callosity. If corn tissue is to be removed from the top of a toe, the other face of the device is used, namely the face that is transversely convex, as indicated by the dotted lines in FIGURE 1 and here again only the portion of the device properly shaped to best contact the particular afiliction is utilized during the removal of the corn tissue. By way of further example I have illustrated in FIGURE 2 how the rounded edge 5 of the device may be inserted between toes for the removal of corn tissue in such location. Obviously there are numerous other types and shapes of afliictions in various locations that may be correctly treated by a part of the device that best fits the particular aflliction, the above mentioned particular uses being by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. In similar manner the device may be utilized to reduce or remove callous tissue from the hands.

It will be noted that the device is exceedingly durable, economical to manufacture, and has an extremely long life by virtue of the fact that the abrasive material will not wear off for an exceptionally long time, and maintains its saime abrasive property through its entire thickness, there being no lessening of the abrasive property after some surface removal as is the case with commonly known sandpaper.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be eifected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

A corn and callous file comprising an outwardly and laterally flaring spatulate core terminating in a rounded end, said core having one entire face thereof slightly concave along the longitudinal center line and slightly transversely convex in vertical section, the other entire face being slightly transversely concave and convex along the longitudinal center line, a hardened mass of material including a comminuted abrasive baked on said spatulate core, and a handle at the narrower end of said core.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 155,773 Becker Nov. 1, 1949 110,162 Roorbach Dec. 13, 1870 132,468 Jacobsohn Oct. 22, 1872 243,671 Wilson June 28, 1881 839,641 Reavley Dec. 25, 1906 1,533,123 Lewis Apr. 14, 1925 2,091,807 Crum Aug. 31, 1937 2,168,281 Sanford Aug. 1, 1939 2,677,843 Goodman May 11, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 477,443 France Oct. 20, 1915 537,979 France Mar. 11, 1922 681,793 France Feb. 4, 1930 778,517 Great Britain July 10, 1957 1,176,469 France Apr. 10, 1959 

